Loss of virgin forest is more than a loss of carbon sequestering trees and soils. This is the loss of whole communities - individuals and their relationships. The loss of social and cultural diversity. And the loss of real social security basic to one’s survival. As well, the personal is the planetary. Earth does not require healing so much as many humans are in need of healing and remembering ourselves.

For our part, Extinction Witness practices and encourages slowing down to cool down as an overarching solution for reversing global warming (see Vow 2 Act), serves as a voice for collective vitality (see Forest EDGE), fosters public display of chronic grief in Lucille's Regenerative Memorials (see below), and is in the visioning phase of VIRGIN Project with intention to support children, women, and men who have endured sexual trauma - personal violation and/or violation of their watershed communities.

From the start, the intent with Extinction Witness has been to share and celebrate a multitude of aligned efforts while encouraging felt experience and processing of grief associated with genocide, mass extinction and global warming. Remaining steady and fluid in 2018, we will hone the project focus by deepening new and longer existing collaborations. The following offers description of current programs and productions in various stages. We're very grateful for financial support and cooperative relations that help us do our work.

PROGRAMS

LUCILLE's REGENERATIVE MEMORIALS - embodied grieving as peacekeeping / Lucille's Regenerative Memorials are a cooperative effort of Extinction Witness and Pollinator Posse honoring mothers of all walks for everyone’s benefit. Grieving keeps the peace and clarifies universally compassionate action. Lucille’s Regenerative Memorials are united by intent to encourage public displays of grief while supporting the human grieving process within the context of life’s complete cycle of birth, decay, death, and birth. In addition to providing areas for quiet reflection and mourning ritual both free of and of any religious doctrine and expression, which may be fierce so long as the expression is non-harming. Lucille’s Regenerative Memorials can provide edibles free for harvest without monetary exchange. We are in process of building a networking site for the Memorials. For now, please read more on Lucille's Regenerative Memorials at Extinction Witness.

MASS EXTINCTION GRIEF & CREATIVITY - online creative forum / Participants in this forum support one another in the creative process of transmuting chronic grief associated with genocide, mass species extinction, and global warming. Beginning February 2018 with amphibians, there's invitation and support to practice revolving monthly creative witness. More at Facebook.

REMEMBRANCE DAY FOR LOST SPECIES - honoring extinct species whilst encouraging endangered species to remain and thrive / Extinction Witness is a lead organizer and one in a growing coalition of artists, educators, museum curators, scientists and writers forwarding International Remembrance Day for Lost Species, November 30th (RDLS). In 2015 and 2016, Extinction Witness facilitated Joy Giving Practice. In 2017, Extinction Witness sponsored two RDLS events at Lake Merritt Wildlife Refuge in Oakland, California. Plans for 2018 include a creative pause with RDLS Co-founder Persephone Pearl and others working at the intersection of extinction studies, social justice, and participatory arts practice to hone the RDLS message and plan of action for 2018 and beyond. More on the history of RDLS at Extinction Witness.

PRODUCTIONS

RIGHTWORK - rightful work is thriving / RIGHTWORK (WIP) explores rightful work, or what is done naturally, by individual community members and whole communities for everyone's benefit. RIGHTWORK's central creative focus is a series of character profiles. We're currently in production on the core short film on rivers. The film features orca, salmon, grizzly, spruce tree and more.

DARK MATTER: WOMEN WITNESSING - a journal featuring women's voices in response to massive species loss and ecological collapse, toward healing / Initiated by editor Lise Weil and first published November 2014, Dark Matter: Women Witnessing is an online journal and community of support for women writing with attention to massive species loss and ecological collapse. Dark Matter publishes writing and visual art and is a home for dreams, visions, and interspecies communications, especially those with messages for how we might heal broken interspecies relations. Having enjoyed a mutually supportive relationship, encouraging and sharing of one another's efforts since Dark Matter's first issue, the journal is with Extinction Witness as of February 2018, carrying forward the shared intention to encourage and facilitate this creative expression while fostering intimacy among participating artists. Editorial decisions remain with Lise and all inquiries regarding Dark Matter go direct through the Dark Matter website.